at 18:30 (JST), May 23

Asian View

"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20220523183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Kishida welcome before noon
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220523_21/

The leaders of Japan and the United States are sitting down for an official meeting in Tokyo.

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said at the meeting, "I sincerely welcome your visit to Japan. It shows that the United States will continue to strengthen its involvement in the Indo-Pacific region under any circumstances."

Kishida and President Joe Biden spoke briefly to reporters shortly before noon. They are scheduled to hold a joint press conference later on Monday.

Both leaders are expected to stress the US and Japan's close alliance, and commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Biden said, "Prime Minister, thank you for the welcome. I'm delighted you're welcoming me. It's been a good relation we had this far. It's great to be with you again and to continue our discussions on how Japan and the United States can harness our alliance as a positive force not only in the region, but in the world."

They are expected to discuss responses to China's growing assertiveness in the region, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and North Korea's weapons tests.

Biden will also speak about the US military's "extended deterrence" capabilities for Japan, including nuclear weapons. Kishida will also present the Japanese government's plans to increase defense spending.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party proposes that the country should possess "counterstrike capability" to deal with ballistic missile threats.

Speaking this morning, Biden says the US and Japan will face the challenges of today, and the future, together.

Key words : fully committed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220523_20/

US President Joe Biden says the United States remains fully committed to Japan's defense.

Biden made the remark at the start of his meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo on Monday.

The president said the US-Japan alliance has long been the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

He said the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF, will be launched later on Monday to increase cooperation with other nations in the region and deliver concrete benefits for local people.

Biden also mentioned that Japan is working with other G7 partners to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for the war in Ukraine and to stand up for shared democratic values. He thanked Kishida for his strong leadership and his support for Ukrainians.

Biden again expressed his gratitude to the prime minister for hosting the Quad summit that will be held on Tuesday. He said, "Two great democracies in the Indo-Pacific are always looking for ways to do more together." He said he is looking forward to talking more to Kishida about these issues.

Biden also called Kishida by his first name, Fumio, and thanked the prime minister for welcoming him and his team to Japan.

Key words : lodged
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220521_10/

Japan has lodged a protest with China after detecting construction work for a new structure near the two countries' median line in the East China Sea.

Japan and China agreed in 2008 to jointly develop gas fields in the region. But as negotiations for a related treaty stalled, China has pursued its own development activities in the area, including construction near the median line.

Japan's foreign ministry announced on Friday that it confirmed China had started work on a new structure on the Chinese side of the line.

The head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a protest with the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo.

He says it is "extremely regrettable" that China is unilaterally going ahead with the gas field development.

He urged China to swiftly resume talks for the related treaty around the 2008 agreement.

The ministry says this is the 17th Chinese structure of its kind.

Key words : north fever attendance
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220523_06/

North Korea has held a state funeral for a top military official despite the nation's "fever" outbreak.

The ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said on Monday that the service for Hyon Chol Hae, marshal of the Korean People's Army, took place on Sunday with leader Kim Jong Un in attendance.

Kim, who chaired a state funeral committee for the event, said Hyon's noble soul will live forever along with the "dazzling strengthening and development" of the country's military.

The late marshal is believed to have given Kim military training.

On Monday, North Korea reported more than 167,000 new suspected coronavirus cases.

The total number of suspected infections has surged since late April to over 2.8 million, which represents one out of 10 North Koreans.

Nonetheless, photos carried by the newspaper showed crowds of people gathered along the route of Hyon's hearse to bid him farewell.

Key words : human rights next week
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220521_08/

The UN human rights chief will visit China next week to tour the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or OHCHR, said on Friday that High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet will pay an official visit to China from May 23 through May 28.

It will be the first visit to China by a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since 2005.

The OHCHR said Bachelet will visit Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, and Kashgar in southern Xinjiang. The office added she will meet with Chinese government officials and business representatives.

She is expected to issue a statement at a news conference on May 28, the final day of her visit.

Western nations are concerned about alleged forced labor and other violations targeting the ethnic Uyghur people in Xinjiang. The Chinese government has consistently denied allegations of abuse.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed hope that Bachelet's visit will be fruitful.

But observers say success of the mission depends on whether Beijing will allow the UN unfettered movement in Xinjiang.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price expressed serious doubts over Bachelet's planned visit at a telephone news conference on Friday.

Price said the US government has no expectation that China will grant the necessary access required to conduct a complete, unmanipulated assessment of the human rights environment in Xinjiang.

He added that for months, the US has called upon the High Commissioner to release a report drafted by her staff detailing the situation in Xinjiang, but it remains unavailable.

Price added that the high commissioner's continued silence in the face of indisputable evidence of atrocities in Xinjiang is deeply concerning.

Key words : cambodia
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220521_20/

Official campaigning for commune council elections in Cambodia started on Saturday.

Voters will elect the members of more than 1,600 commune councils across the country from about 86,000 candidates representing 17 political parties.

The vote is held every five years. This year's elections are scheduled for June 5.

The ruling Cambodian People's Party led by Prime Minister Hun Sen touted the country's economic growth and development at a rally in the capital Phnom Penh.

An opposition party formed a convoy of cars and pledged more support for the poor.

Dissatisfaction with Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than 30 years, saw the largest opposition party make major gains in the last commune elections.

However, the country's Supreme Court later ordered the party to be dissolved for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government.

As a result, Hun Sen's party won all of the parliamentary seats in the general election the following year.

Attention is on how many seats opposition parties will secure ahead of next year's parliamentary election, while Hun Sen continues his heavy-handed tactics.

Key words : subway partially
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220522_20/

Subway services have partially resumed in the Chinese city of Shanghai, but a strict lockdown remains in place in many districts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Some subway lines resumed operations on Sunday. Local media say train cars were thoroughly disinfected, but few passengers were on board.

City authorities have announced a plan to ease the restrictions in phases and return to normal life in June in response to a drop in case counts.

After having reported more than 20,000 daily new infections in April, the tally started to fall and remained below 1,000 for seven straight days until Saturday.

Residents of districts where no cases have been confirmed for 10 days or more are allowed to go out to buy food and other daily necessities.

But only one person in a family can leave their home at a designated time slot.

Key words : skytree
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220522_23/

Japan's iconic Tokyo Skytree has marked its 10th anniversary with a Kabuki performance at its top -- 634 meters above ground.

The radio tower's operator allowed the media to access the top platform for the first time to commemorate the occasion on Sunday.

A special stage was set up for Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo.

Ebizo said before the performance that he would display a technique called "nirami" to pray for world peace, the end of the coronavirus pandemic and to ward off evil on behalf of everyone who is facing challenges.

"Nirami" is a glare with each eye looking at a different direction. The technique is performed with a pose in which the actor stretches one of his legs forward.

The "nirami" move is said to drive away evil from people who see it.